Cooling tower



Dec. 29, 1931. G. H.. LIFUR 1,839,104

COOLING TOWER Filed Aug. i, 1927 l fnl'fnnlinnfai; l INVEIYKTOR.

' BY MM/65% @w M A TTORNEY.

Patented Dc., 2,9, 1931 l .Application led August V1, Serial N'o.f'29,751. 1". il

i My invention relates to a liquid'co )ling r tower particularly designed to utilize natural air circulation vas the cooling medium. v

`An object of the inventionzis to provide 1n a tower of the character described, an improved circulation of air therethrough bymeans utilizing 'a novel disposition of louver boards. I' .l

VAnother object of the invention is to'provide a supporting means for the louvers and which also functions as a bracing means for the tower. l

Aj further object of the invention is to pro- Avide vin a towerof the character described,

. -on the line 2-2 in Figure'l.

means independent of the louvers for pref venting the loss of liuidfrom the tower when under excessive air circulationconditions.

@ther and Vancillary objects of my inven-v tion will be suggestedin the following description and inthe useV of the device of'my invention. Certain of the objects, or certain portions or combinations'of the objects of v my invention may be attained Vwith the use of less than all its advantageous features, or with modifications within its purview. It is petitioned therefore, that my invention'be limited only by the claims constituting its final determination.

In the accompanying drawings forming` part of this specification Figurev 1 1s a plan of a cooling tower em bodylng'my invention. i

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional Vview taken Figure 3 is an` enlarged fragmentary-plan oftheforward' right-hand corner of. Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the corner of 3;and i Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentarytransverse sectional View taken on the' line 54-5i in Fig. 1.

As herewith particularly illustrated, the'.

features of my invention are incorporated in a cooling tower 6 having" a, frame formed with a requisite num-berof upright posts 7 `and carrying a series of superimposed decks 8. The decks 8, it will be noted are lixedly related to the posts and, areperforated to permit the distributedv escape of intercepted liquid therethrough.' As here shown, the

' cooLiNe Towne Y bracket arm decks comprise deck joists'9 fixed to posts 7, and have slats 1l fixed thereacross spaced relation.

Sincethe tower isparticularly lintended filbe ldisposedforzthe-natural circulation of air,

vbeyondfan adjacent` post and being fixed to the'deck and post; as by bolts jl'and larespectively, whereby the protruding portion..

for the suport of a louver... Sincel a triangle is defined by and b'etween'the4 inner portion of member l2, the post, andthe deck, j it will be obvious that each member 12 also Y l5` of the memberlfconstitutes a cantilever functions to stiffen'and brace .the'framepyg maintaining the angular relation ofthe post 1 tothe deck. Members 12 are provided `to extendfrom each ofthe-'decks at the difl'erent5-v edges thereof; a set ofas manymembers4 12 is provided foreach and are similarly disposed whereby those atf a given side of' a deck may` cooperate to ,defineF aplane ofsupportfor a louver.

Louvefr boards 16 are mounted on and tween the arms `15at eachv edge of the deck, A such lboards extending outwardly fromthe,v

posts whereby H'relatively larger openings -are defined between the lower edges 17 .of the,-`

boards and the decklevel.Y The louver boards "3 associated with each setje f members'` 1 2, it willlbenoted, are coterminous to provide continuous louver aboutthetower for each;

deck 8, wherebysuperimposed sets of louver boards areV provided, the corresponding louver boards'of the, different sets.being' p ar,f 9

allelly related. u Preferably the louver boardsv 16 Vare ,imperforate and extend upwardlyiat` least .to the level of deck above thatfrom which the members, 1 2 Ywhich@support them extend. As here shown, the upper edges'18 of deck as there are posts; 7 Also, the members12areV of like length the louver boards of a set lie substantially as far above a given deck as their lower edges 17 lie below it, it being noted that the edges 17 lie closest to the upper deck of an adjacent pair. In this manner, the horizontal plane of the upper edges 18 of a set of louver boards is below that of the lower edges 17 of the set immediately above it.

Thehereinbefore described disposal of the louvers with respect to the decks is somewhat different from that heretofore com1nonly used, and possesses a number of marked advantages thereover. practice has heretofore been to extend the louvers directly from the surface of each deck so that a deck and its louvers together defined a saucer-like depression, whereby the major circulation of air laterally between decks of a tower so constructed, takes place p adjacent the lower surface of the deck above,

and little if any air is enabled to sweep across the top surface of the lower deck, whereby Vthe liquid retarded thereat is not subjected to the cooling effect of air as much as the liquid falling from the deck afbove. By

" means of the present arrangement in my invention'however, a strong and direct air current is assured along the top surface of each deck, whereby a maximum cooling of the liquid is effected. Furthermore, the arrangement now disclosed, by reason of the are suspended from vertical as well as horizontal spacing of edges 17 and 18 of adjacent louvers provides greater effective air inlet and exit passages to the tower than is permitted with other and prior structures, whereby circulation of the air through the tower is facilitated and the cooling ofthe liquid is thus still further aided, yet no greater loss of liquid occurs through the blowing of the liquid from the tower on ac- 'count of the peculiar disposal of the louvers.

To further assist in insuring a cooling of 'the liquid, secondar.l decks 21 may also be utilized. VAs here shown, the decks 21 are formed generally similarly to the decks 8 and the latter decks as by bolts 22. Preferably, the bolts 22 have long vthreaded ends for adjustable useful length, and the decks 21 are disposed in the upper portions of the direct air streams across the decks 8 whereby they also receive the full benefit of such streams. Generally, the decks 2l would be suspended in parallel relation to the decks 8, but when a strong wind prevails, they are preferably tilted into the wind whereby they may assist in preventing the blowing of the liquid across and from the decks and so conserve the liquid. Furthermore, to prevent the drops of liquid from falling directly through several decks, the slats 23 of the decks 21 may be disposed in staggered relation to the slats 11 of the decks 8, Fig. 5, when the decks 21 and 8 are parallelly related. In. this manner, the cooling of the liquid is further facilitated whereby Briefly, the' usual j Lesaioe towers of less height may be utilized to effect a desired cooling of liquid. As here shown, adjustment of the decks 21 is arranged to be facilitated by the use of wing nuts 24 on the bolts 22, it being obvious that other means of adjustment might be used without departing from the spirit of my invention. It will be noted that the suspended or floating decks 21 may be tilted in many directions, provision having been made to accomplish this by the large-clearance holes 25 and 26 of the decks 8 and 21 respectively, Fig. 5.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

ithe'advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, the following:

1. In a cooling tower of the class described, superimposed perforated decks, and inclined louver boards disposed in similar relation to successive decks, each of said boards having the lower edge thereof disposed above the plane of the lower deck of an adjacent pair and the upper edge thereof disposed above the plane of the upper deck of said pair whereby a planar sweep of air is provided for beneath a said louver board and across the upper surface of a said lower deck.

2. In a cooling tower of the class described, superimposed perforated decks, and superimposed inclined louver boards similarly related to successive decks and having the lower edge of each board disposed above the level of its deck and above the level of the top edge of the immediately underlying board whereby a planar sweep of air is permitted completely across the tower and over the upper surfaces of said decks.

3. In a cooling tower of the class described, superimposed perforated decks of like structure, and inclined imperforate louver boards for and similarly related to said decks and having the lower edges thereof disposed above the planes of their decks whereby to provide for a planar sweep of air through the tower and over the upper surface of the said decks.

4. A cooling tower comprising a supporting structure, arranged in spaced relation to each other, inclined louvers disposed around said decks and being positioned so that their lower edges will occur substantially midway between two decks and that they will be intersected by the a plurality of superposed decks horizontal plane of a deck substantially midway of their height. y Y

5. In a cooling tower of the class described, a plurality of supporting posts at edge points thereof, a perforated deck supported by said posts, and a louver supporting bracket comprising an upwardly and outwardly inclined member having its inner end fixed to said'deck Within the operative area thereof and to a said post to define a triangle with said deck and post and providing an out wardly protruding arm arranged to function as a cantilever support for the louver.

6. In a coolingv tower of the class de scribed, a plurality of supporting posts, a deck supported by and between said posts, a bracket comprising a member extending obliquely upwardly from an interior. point of said deck to and beyond a post and fixed to said deck and post, and a louver board carried by the portion of said member outwardly of said post. i

7. In a cooling vtower of the class de,- scribed, a. plurality of upright supporting posts, a series of superimposed perforated decks carried directly by said posts, and a secondary perforated deck suspended between a pair of said first-decks in intermediate relationthereto, said secondary deck being supported from the directly superimposed deck and having the perforations thereof in staggered relation to the perforations of said pair of decks.

8. In a cooling tower of the class described, a plurality of upright supporting posts, a series of superimposed perforated decks carried directly by said posts, and a secondary perforated deck adjustably suspended 'between a pair of said first decks.

9. In a cooling tower of the class described, a plurality of upright supporting posts, a series of superimposed perforated decks carried directly by said posts, a secondary deck interposed between a pair of said first decks, and means adjustably supporting said secondary deck from the upper deck of said pair whereby both the angular and spaced relation of said secondary deck to the decks of said pair may be varied.

10. In a cooling tower of the class described, a plurality of upright supporting posts, a pair of cooling decks carried by and between said posts, deck supported intermediate said first decks for angular adjustment with respect thereto.

11. In an vatmospheric cooling tower having an interior coolingV chamber throughV which fluid is adapted tofall and through whichair currents are adapted to pass substantially horizontally, wind directing means at the side of said chamber, and .a baliie disposed within said chamber in the p ath of such currents and spaced from said wind directing means, and adapted to be inclined with respect to the horizontal.

and a secondary coolingl 12. In ing whichfiuid is .adapted to fall and through which air currents are adapted to pass substantially horizontally, wind directing means at the side of said chamber, a baffle disposedl within saidV chamber in the path of such cur-l an atmospheric cooling tower hav- .rcnts and of said falling fluid, .said baffle Y being spaced from said wind directing means and adapted to be inclined with respect to the horizontal. f j

13. Inanatmospheric cooling towerhaving an interior cooling chamber through which fiuid is adapted to fall andV through which air currents are adapted to pass subp currents and adapted to be inclined -with respect to the horizontal, anda movable 'mounting for the baflie whereby it is movable to vary its angle of inclination.

15. In an atmospheric cooling tower having an interior cooling chamber through which which air currents are adapted to pass sub-v stantially horizontally, wind directing means an interior cooling chamber through fluid is adapted to fall and through "raY Ving an interior cooling chamber through wind directing at the side of said, chamber, a baffle disposed within said chamber in the path of such cur rents and adapted to be inclined `with respect to the horizontal, a movable mounting for the baffle whereby it is movableto vary its angle of inclination, and means for so moving the baffle.

16. In .an atmospheric cooling tower having a vertically arranged series of cooling chambers, a given chamber being vertically defined by spaced upper and lower decks through which fluid is adapted to fall and thus pass substantially vertically through the chamber, wind directing means .at the side of said chamber, and a baffle adapted to be inclined with respect to the horizontal and arranged in saidschamber in the path of such currents. Y

` 17. Inv an'atmosphe'ric cooling tower hav-` ing a vertically arranged series of cooling chambers, a given chamberbeing vertically defined by spaced upper and lower decks through which fluid is adapted to fall and thus pass substantially vertically through the chamber, a'louver for directing air currents through said chamber, and an apertured. baliie adapted to besinclined with reizo spect to the horizontal and arranged in said chamber in the'path of such currents.

1S. In a cooling tower of the class described, a series of relatively fixed and superimposed perforated decks7 and t secondary perforated deck adjustab-ly supported between a pair of said first decks for Ladjustmentwith respect thereto.

19. n a cooling tower of the class dei scribed, uy series of relatively xed and superimposed perforated decks7 and L secondary perforated deck adjustably supported between e pair of said irst decks for spacing and/or angular adjustment with respect thereto.

In testimony whereof, afx my signature.

GREGORY H. LIFUR. 

